Multilateral Diplomacy

Why is Consensus Necessary?
A widespread belief suggests that decisions taken by consensus have greater political force than those that one or more delegations have refused to support. Many governments and delegates dislike the overt confrontation and sense of victory and defeat that voting conveys.

Multilateral meetings are co-operative endeavours and one of their main tasks is to produce and project the assurance of a prevailing collaborative spirit. This spirit is visible if all participants consent to the decision adopted. A more practical interpretation, however, of why consensus is necessary is that on many issues most countries find it possible to accept language with which they are not entirely satisfied, but with which they are not in strong opposition. If called upon to vote on the same proposal or document, they might feel obliged to vote against or signify lack of enthusiasm or the presence of a reservation, by registering an abstention.

- excerpt from Multilateral Diplomacy course materials


Description and Objectives

This course introduces participants to the diplomatic interaction among more than two actors, with particular emphasis on the multilateral diplomacy represented by the United Nations system. The course provides an overview of all protagonists and their roles, as well as of the complex framework, intricate rules and methods of multilateral diplomacy. These challenging topics are complemented by insights into the processes leading to the adoption of documents by States within international organisations, as well the current transformations affecting the multilateral system. The course blends an academic perspective with the experience of current practitioners of multilateral diplomacy through illustrative case studies.

 

Course Outline

  1. Origin, Evolution and Objectives of Multilateral Diplomacy: A brief historic preface covering key events that have marked the evolution of multilateral diplomacy. We examine existing intergovernmental organisations created by treaties concluded among member countries, dealing with the increasing number of issues that need international debate, action and regulation.
  2. Actors: Sovereign states are still the main protagonists in multilateral diplomacy, but we are currently witnessing the increased involvement of non-state actors, including non-governmental organisations, representatives of civil society and the business community; both traditional and new actors are discussed.
  3. Framework: We examine the increasingly diverse bodies within which governments and other actors cooperate, while their responsibilities and mandates cover ever more demanding areas and new challenges.
  4. Rules: Despite the importance of the full observance of the constitutive acts of various international organisations, including their rules of procedure, multilateral diplomacy embraces constantly new forms of interaction, thus reflecting the need for flexibility and rapid adaptability to a dynamic environment.
  5. Methods: Nowadays only a part of the multilateral diplomatic effort takes place in formal and solemn settings. The interaction among various actors extends to a number of modalities, including informal contacts and spontaneous coalitions of the willing. We look at both formal and informal methods of multilateral diplomacy.
  6. Process: The preparation of diplomatic events is manifold, and depends on the level at which it is undertaken: national or international, formal or informal, on substance or on procedures.
  7. New Developments: We consider the crucial changes which globalisation has introduced into the multilateral context, including the emergence of new stakeholders with interests and resources to influence the behaviour and power of states.
  8. ICT and Multilateral Diplomacy: The development of new information and communication technologies offers an unprecedented potential for important changes in the traditional ways and means of conducting multilateral diplomacy. The tools, their impact, and implications, are analysed.

 

Who Should Apply

  • Practicing diplomats, civil servants, and others who work in international relations who want to refresh or expand their knowledge under the guidance of experienced practitioners and academics;
  • Post-graduate students of diplomacy or international relations wishing to study topics not offered through their university programmes or diplomatic academies and to gain deeper insight through interaction with practicing diplomats;
  • Post-graduate students or practitioners in other fields seeking an entry point into the world of diplomacy;
  • Journalists, staff of international and non-governmental organisations, translators, business people and others who interact with diplomats and wish to improve their understanding of diplomacy-related topics.

 

Structure and Methodology

This course is conducted entirely online over a period of 10 weeks. Reading materials and tools for online interaction are provided through an online classroom. Each week, participants read the provided lecture text, adding questions, comments and references in the form of hypertext annotations and links. Lecturers and other participants read and respond to these annotations and links, creating interaction based on the lecture text. During the week, participants complete additional online activities (for example, further discussion via blogs or forums, quizzes, group tasks, simulations or short assignments). At the end of the week, participants and lecturers meet online in a chat room to discuss the week’s topic. To complete the course successfully, participants must also write one or two essay assignments and a final examination. Courses are based on a collaborative approach to learning, involving a high level of interaction.

 

Lecturer(s)

Dr Petru Dumitriu
Multilateral Diplomacy

Dr Petru Dumitriu is currently director of the United Nations and Specialized Institutions Directorate in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania. Prior to this appointment he served as deputy permanent representative of Romania to the Office of the United Nations in Geneva (2000-2005). His diplomatic career includes an assignment to the Permanent Mission of Romania to the United Nations in New York. He has been an elected member of the UN Committee on Contributions since 2001. He was rapporteur of the Geneva phase of the World Summit on the Information Society and general rapporteur of the Ministerial Pan-European Conference (Bucharest, 2002). In 1997 he acted as Secretary-General of the Third International Conference of New and Restored Democracies (September, 1997). He was also vice-president of the UNICEF Executive Board (1995), of the UN Commission on Disarmament (1997) and of the Special Political and Decolonisation Committee (1997).

 

Ms Katharina Höne
Multilateral Diplomacy

Ms Katharina Höne currently works at the Department of Political Science at the University of Jena, Germany. Here, she is part of a research project on the Special Representatives of the UN Secretary-General and their role in peace processes. She also teaches a course on International Organisations. She obtained a Master in Diplomatic Studies with distinction from the University of Leicester, Great Britain. During an internship at the German Foreign Ministry she also experienced the practical side of her academic projects. Her research interests include international organisations, the UN Secretary-General, and international mediation.

 

Words from Former Participants

I found the Multilateral Diplomacy course very engaging. What I enjoyed the most was the focus on the UN. It was a particularly great insight and useful to re-understand the usefulness of the organisation and its wider system. Multilateral diplomacy is a whole new world for me and this course has been a great foundation as I hope to forage in this domain. The experiences of the coursemates from diverse backgrounds, the diversity of their opinions and the online discussions with the course instructors was tremendously enriching!  I would not hesitate to recommend this course to persons moving from bilateral to multilateral diplomatic missions, especially those who are taking jobs in the UN system.

George Fominyen - Political and Public Diplomacy Officer,
British High Commission in Yaounde, Cameroon

As someone who is not directly involved in foreign relations this course was an eye-opener to what MLD is and what it is not. Throughout the whole course the interactions with both my colleagues and moderators was always a challenge. I would definitely recommend the course to any one interested in multilateral relations in whatever capacity be it in the public or private sector.

Sibongiseni Mzenze - Legislative Researcher/Deputy
Information Officer, South African Revenue Service

This course has taught a newcomer like myself to this field a lot. All the information I've obtained, all the interaction with the colleagues and specially the comments and wise advice from Petru has been a real eye opener. You have all given me a whole lot of confidence and advice on how to move forward and up this ladder of success… The different countries and cultures we all belong to, and the different viewpoints from learning diplomats all around the world – it’s definitely something I, for one, will never get an opportunity again to witness. That is, unless I take another course from DIPLO… which I hope and plan to do.

Rishfa Rasheed – Maldives Ministry of Foreign Affairs

 

Prerequisites

Applicants must have:

  • an undergraduate university degree; OR three years work experience and appropriate professional qualifications in diplomacy or international relations;
  • sufficient ability in English language to undertake postgraduate level studies;
  • unrestricted access to the Internet using Firefox or Internet Explorer web browsers (please contact us for more details if you are in doubt about your level of access).

 

Fees

Course fees depend on whether you wish to obtain university credit for the course:

  • 730 euros (University of Malta Credit Course)
  • 550 euros (Diplo Certificate Course)

Applicants must pay full fees upon official acceptance into the course. The fee includes:

  • University of Malta application fee (where applicable)
  • Tuition fee
  • Course orientation pack (where applicable - may include text and/or references and Textus Learning User Guide)
  • Access to all required course materials online, via Diplo’s online classroom
  • Personal interaction via the online classroom with course lecturers, staff and other participants
  • Online technical support: requests will be answered within 24 hours
  • Certificate of completion issued by DiploFoundation (upon meeting all course requirements for participation, assignments and examination)

 

Financial Assistance

Discounts are available for more than one participant from the same institution. A limited number of partial scholarships are available for diplomats from developing countries. To apply for a scholarship please include your CV or resume, and a letter outlining your interest in the course and financial need, with your application package.

 

How to Apply

A number of routes for application are available, depending on the needs of the applicant: